The ban

Social media age limits around the world, and how the UK compares

Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia already keep under-16s off social media. Most of Europe is still drafting, mostly at 15. Here is where each one stands, checked against its own government’s sources.

By Anna Moss · Manchester mum of one

Updated 5 October 2026

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On this page

As of 5 October 2026, four countries enforce a social media age rule: Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia bar under-16s from holding accounts, and Brazil requires under-16s’ accounts to be linked to a parent’s. The UK’s under-16 ban is expected in spring 2027, with the first regulations due before Parliament by the end of 2026.

Nearly everyone is choosing 15 or 16. Where countries really differ is on two questions UK parents are already asking: whether a parent can let a younger child in, and who checks a child’s age. This page tracks both, and is updated when a country moves.

Four countries already enforce an age line. The UK is in the next wave, with most of Europe Social media age rules by country, with the age each one uses

United Kingdom: powers in law, ban expected spring 2027
In force
Draft law or bill published
Announced, no law yet
No binding rule (advice only, or struck down)

Europe, below

Sources: government, parliament and regulator pages for each country, linked in the country-by-country list below. Checked 5 October 2026. Boundaries: Natural Earth. The EU’s proposed rules would cover all 27 member states and are not shaded.

What the rest of the world tells UK parents

Australia is the preview. Its ban has run since 10 December 2025 on the same model the UK is following: an account ban at 16, the platforms doing the checking, messaging apps left out. Its first results, covered in our pieces on the three-month evaluation and the six-month mark, are the closest guide to what UK families can expect in 2027.

A ban can fall on its age checks. France’s Constitutional Council struck down its under-15 ban on 14 August 2026, partly because the law set no privacy safeguards for the age checks it required. How UK platforms should check ages is the question Ofcom is assessing this month.

The parent’s say is the biggest split. The EU proposal, Spain’s bill, Brazil and Florida all give parents a route to let a younger child in. Australia, Malaysia and the Austrian and Danish drafts do not; Denmark dropped a parental opt-in from 13 that it had first planned. The UK has not announced a parental route.

Who checks the age varies more than the age itself. Malaysia checks against government ID records. Greece plans a state wallet that tells a platform only “over” or “under”. Austria’s draft uses a separate provider that never learns which platform asked. Australia forbids platforms from forcing anyone to use government ID. The UK has left the method to the platforms, against a standard Ofcom sets.

Some target the feed, not the account. California’s new law keeps under-16s’ accounts but bans personalised feeds and autoplay for them, and Austria’s draft defines its scope by addictive features rather than by naming platforms. The UK names its platforms, and for 16 and 17-year-olds turns feeds and autoplay off by default, which the teenager can switch back on.

Which ages, which dates

15 of the 16 rules here draw the line at 15 or 16 Age below which each rule applies, including proposals and advice · checked 5 October 2026

Under 16 8

UK
Australia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Brazil parent-linked account, not a ban
New Zealand
Norway from 1 January of the year a child turns 16
Spain parental consent

Under 15 7

EU proposal supervised from 13
Denmark
Greece
Cyprus
France struck down
Netherlands advice only
Slovenia position at EU level

Under 14 1

Austria

Bar colours match the map: dark green in force, mid green a draft law or bill, slate announced, dotted for advice, a position, a court ruling or the EU proposal. Italy is left out because its bill’s age could not be confirmed from the text.

Australia has the longest run. The UK’s ban would start more than a year after it Start dates, in force or officially targeted · checked 5 October 2026

Today

Australia 10 December 2025 in force
Brazil 17 March 2026, Indonesia 28 March 2026 in force
Malaysia 1 June 2026 in force
Austria 1 January 2027, Greece 1 January 2027 target, no law in force yet
Denmark 1 July 2027 target, no law in force yet
United Kingdom spring 2027 expected; regulations due by the end of 2026

Solid dots have started; rings are dates a government has set but not yet reached. France is not shown: its ban was struck down before its start date.

Country by country

Each entry is checked against the government, parliament, regulator or court sources linked under it. Last checked 5 October 2026.

United Kingdom under 16

Powers in law; regulations due by the end of 2026, ban expected spring 2027

What it does: Named platforms (Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X) must stop under-16s using their services. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be included.
Who checks ages: The platforms. Ofcom is assessing what highly effective age assurance at 16 looks like, due in October 2026.
Can parents opt in?: No parental consent route has been announced.

Sources: Gov.uk announcement, 15 June 2026 · Gov.uk fact sheet, updated 18 September 2026 · More: the UK ban, explained

In force

Rules that platforms have to follow today.

Australia under 16

In force since 10 December 2025

What it does: Age-restricted platforms must take reasonable steps to stop under-16s creating or keeping an account. The regulator names Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit among them.
Who checks ages: The platforms. They may not force anyone to use government ID or an accredited digital ID, and must offer an alternative.
Can parents opt in?: No. The rule applies to every under-16.
Compared with the UK: The closest match to the UK plan, and more than a year ahead of it, which is why its results are the best preview UK parents have.

Sources: eSafety Commissioner: social media age restrictions · eSafety FAQs, 30 September 2026 · Enforcement amendment, Act No. 83 of 2026 · Our coverage: Six months into Australia’s ban

Indonesia under 16

Phased in from 28 March 2026

What it does: Under-16s may not hold accounts on platforms the government classes as high-risk. The first list is YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
Who checks ages: The platforms, with the strength of the check matched to the risk.
Can parents opt in?: Only for 13 to 15-year-olds, and only on products classed as low-risk.
Compared with the UK: The same line at 16, but Indonesia’s first list includes a game (Roblox), which the UK ban does not name.

Sources: Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, phased start · State Secretariat on the technical rules

Malaysia under 16

In force since 1 June 2026, with a grace period

What it does: Licensed social media services with 8 million or more Malaysian users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, may only register users verified as 16 or over. Existing child users must verify too.
Who checks ages: The platforms, against government records such as the MyKad identity card, a passport or a birth certificate.
Can parents opt in?: No. Under-16s may not register.
Compared with the UK: The same age, but Malaysia ties the check to government ID records, a step the UK has not taken, and sets scope by user numbers rather than a named list.

Sources: MCMC Child Protection Code · MCMC FAQ, 28 May 2026

Brazil under 16 parent-linked account, not a ban

In force since 17 March 2026

What it does: Accounts of children and teenagers up to 16 must be linked to a parent’s account, with supervision tools. It is not an account ban.
Who checks ages: Services must use age assurance, and app stores and operating systems must check age and pass an age signal to apps.
Can parents opt in?: Yes. A parent-linked account is the route in.
Compared with the UK: The opposite design: Brazil keeps under-16s on social media under a parent’s eye, where the UK takes them off it.

Sources: Lei 15.211/2025 (ECA Digital) · ANPD, one year on

Draft law or bill published

A draft law or bill exists, but has not passed.

New Zealand under 16

Bill introduced 24 August 2026, no first reading yet

What it does: Platforms would have to take reasonable steps to stop under-16s holding accounts. The bill excludes messaging and games such as WhatsApp, Discord and Roblox.
Who checks ages: The platforms. Typing in a date of birth would not count, and ID could not be the only option.
Can parents opt in?: No consent route in the bill.
Compared with the UK: Built very like the UK plan, but its future depends on the November 2026 election.

Sources: Bill 339-1, NZ Legislation · RNZ on Labour’s support · Our coverage: New Zealand’s bill is built like the UK’s

Austria under 14

Draft law published; target start 1 January 2027

What it does: Video-sharing platforms with addictive features (feeds from accounts you do not follow, endless scroll, autoplay, rewards, push alerts) must block under-14s. The ministry names TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. WhatsApp is out.
Who checks ages: A separate verification provider, on a double-blind model: the platform learns only the result, the provider never learns which platform asked.
Can parents opt in?: No. The draft rejects putting the decision on parents.
Compared with the UK: A lower age, and scope set by features rather than a named list. Like the UK, it leaves messaging apps out.

Sources: Austrian Parliament: draft 132/ME · Ministry page on the ban

Denmark under 15

Draft law out for consultation; intended start 1 July 2027

What it does: The draft makes it unlawful for under-15s to use large social networking and video-sharing services that need a login. No child or parent would be fined.
Who checks ages: The draft puts no duty on platforms. It expects age checks to follow from EU rules.
Can parents opt in?: No. An earlier plan to let parents opt a child in from 13 was dropped.
Compared with the UK: Denmark puts the rule on children with no penalties; the UK puts the duty on platforms, with Ofcom enforcing.

Sources: Danish government press release · Consultation page

Norway under 16 from 1 January of the year a child turns 16

Draft law sent for EEA consultation; not yet before parliament

What it does: The limit is tied to the calendar year a child turns 16, so a school year gets access together, at about 15.
Who checks ages: Disputed. The minister says platforms are responsible, but the draft dropped duties on platforms as incompatible with EEA law.
Can parents opt in?: Not stated in the sources.
Compared with the UK: Under EEA rules, Norway’s draft cannot put the duty on platforms; the UK’s plan does exactly that.

Sources: Storting written answer · Norwegian Media Authority

Spain under 16 parental consent

Bill in committee in the Congress of Deputies

What it does: As tabled, the bill raises from 14 to 16 the age at which a child can consent to their own data being used, so under-16s would need a parent’s consent. It is not an outright ban.
Who checks ages: Not set in the bill text checked. The prime minister has said platforms will have to verify ages.
Can parents opt in?: Yes, as tabled: a parent can consent.
Compared with the UK: The same age, but parents decide, where the UK plan has no consent route.

Sources: Bill 121/000052 as tabled · Prime minister’s announcement, 3 February 2026

Italy age not confirmed from the bill text

Senate bill in committee since 2024

What it does: A cross-party Senate bill on children’s social media accounts is still being examined in committee, with no vote.
Who checks ages: Not confirmed from the bill text.
Can parents opt in?: Not confirmed from the bill text.
Compared with the UK: Italy’s bill has no government timetable; the UK has one.

Sources: Italian Senate: bill S.1136

Announced, no law yet

A government has said what it wants, with no law text yet.

Greece under 15

Announced 8 April 2026; bill not yet in parliament

What it does: A planned ban on social media for under-15s. The government’s target start is 1 January 2027, but the bill missed its August date to wait for the EU proposal.
Who checks ages: Platforms first; where unsure, they can use Kids Wallet, which returns only an over or under-age answer.
Can parents opt in?: Not settled.
Compared with the UK: A lower age, with a state-run wallet as the fallback check.

Sources: Ministry of Digital Governance, April · Ministry of Digital Governance, 4 October

Cyprus under 15

Action plan approved 16 September 2026; bill due in December

What it does: The government proposes 15 as a minimum age for social media and plans to put a bill to parliament in December 2026, after public consultation.
Who checks ages: Mainly the platforms, using the EU age-check solution once it is finished.
Can parents opt in?: Not mentioned.
Compared with the UK: A lower age, and still at the plan stage.

Sources: Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy

No binding rule (advice only, or struck down)

Advice to parents, a position on the EU rules, or a law that a court struck down.

France under 15 struck down

Struck down 14 August 2026, before it started

What it does: France passed an under-15 ban, but the Constitutional Council struck it down, partly because the law set no privacy safeguards for the age checks it required. The government has since sent a revised text to Brussels.
Who checks ages: Not applicable while no law is in force.
Can parents opt in?: The Council criticised the law for giving parents no say.
Compared with the UK: A warning that a ban can fall in court on how it checks ages, the question Ofcom is now studying.

Sources: Conseil constitutionnel, decision 2026-911 DC · Our coverage: France’s ban struck down

Netherlands under 15 advice only

Government advice since June 2025

What it does: The government advises parents to wait until 15 for social media such as Instagram and TikTok. It is advice, not law, and the Netherlands is now asking for one EU-wide age instead.
Who checks ages: Nobody: there is no legal duty.
Can parents opt in?: Parents decide.
Compared with the UK: Advice to parents where the UK has chosen a legal duty on platforms.

Sources: Rijksoverheid: wait until 15 · Government of the Netherlands, 11 September 2026 · Our coverage: The push for one EU-wide age

Slovenia under 15 position at EU level

Ministry position, September 2026; no national bill

What it does: The education ministry wants the EU’s first age for social media set at 15 rather than 13, and says it will follow the EU process.
Who checks ages: Not specified.
Can parents opt in?: Not specified.
Compared with the UK: A position on the EU’s rules rather than a national law.

Sources: Gov.si, 17 September 2026

The EU proposal

European Union under 15

Proposal published 17 September 2026; needs the European Parliament and Council

What it does: No social media account under 13. At 13 and 14, a limited account a parent sets up and controls, with a daily limit of an hour at most. Independent accounts from 15.
Who checks ages: The platforms, when an account is opened. Self-declared age is not enough; the EU’s free age verification app or digital identity wallet can be used.
Can parents opt in?: Yes, at 13 and 14, through the supervised account.
Compared with the UK: A supervised middle tier the UK does not have, at a lower age. It is only a proposal.

Sources: European Commission press release · KIDS Act explained · Our coverage: The EU has picked 15

Several member states, including Greece, Austria and Slovenia, say they will fit their own plans to the EU’s once it is agreed, so their entries above may change with it.

The United States: state by state, and in court

There is no national US age rule. States pass their own laws, several of which are held up in court, and the biggest changes for teenagers have come from settlements with state attorneys general.

Where	What it does	Parents
Florida Enforceable since November 2025; appeal pending	Platforms with addictive features must bar under-14s from holding accounts. 14 and 15-year-olds need a parent’s consent. Florida Statutes 501.1736 · Eleventh Circuit stay, 25 November 2025	Yes, at 14 and 15.
California Signed 10 September 2026; starts 1 January 2027	Platforms may not give under-16s a personalised recommendation feed or autoplay. The account itself is allowed. AB 1709 text · California has banned the algorithm	No consent exception.
Virginia Blocked by a court since 27 February 2026	A default limit of one hour a day per platform for under-16s. Code of Virginia 59.1-577.1 · Preliminary injunction	Yes, a parent can raise or lower the limit.
Meta settlement (51 states) Consent judgment entered 26 August 2026	Instagram and Facebook must block 13 to 17-year-olds from midnight to 6am and cap use at two hours a day by default. California Attorney General · Meta’s settlement gives parents the switch	Only a parent can lift either limit.
TikTok settlement (Alabama) Court order 25 September 2026	In Alabama, TikTok must block teens from midnight to 6am and limit them to two hours a day by default, and meet set accuracy targets for its age checks. Consent decree · TikTok’s parent-locked curfew	Only a linked parent can loosen the limits.

The UK picked the same midnight to 6am hours for 16 and 17-year-olds as the Meta and TikTok settlements, but in the UK the teenager can switch the curfew off, while in the US settlements only a parent can.

What this means for you

Nothing abroad changes the UK timetable: regulations by the end of 2026, the ban expected in spring 2027. The useful signal is Australia, which is running the same model more than a year ahead. We update this page when a country passes a law, starts enforcing one, or has one struck down.

Common questions

Which countries have banned social media for under-16s?

As of 5 October 2026, three: Australia (since 10 December 2025), Indonesia (phased in from 28 March 2026, on platforms it classes as high-risk) and Malaysia (since 1 June 2026). Brazil requires under-16s’ accounts to be linked to a parent’s account rather than banning them. The UK’s under-16 ban is expected in spring 2027.

Did France ban social media for under-15s?

No. France passed an under-15 ban, but its Constitutional Council struck it down on 14 August 2026, before it started, partly because the law set no privacy safeguards for the age checks it required. The government has since sent a revised text to the European Commission.

Is there an EU-wide minimum age for social media?

Not yet. The European Commission proposed one on 17 September 2026: no account under 13, a parent-supervised account at 13 and 14, and independent accounts from 15. It needs the agreement of the European Parliament and the Council, and both can change it.

Can parents give permission in other countries?

In some. Under the EU proposal a parent can set up a supervised account at 13 and 14, Spain’s bill would let parents consent under 16, Brazil links under-16s’ accounts to a parent, and Florida lets 14 and 15-year-olds in with consent. Australia, Malaysia, Austria’s draft and Denmark’s draft have no parental route, and the UK has not announced one.

Is the UK’s ban stricter than other countries’?

On age, it matches the strictest: 16, the same as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand’s bill, where most European plans use 15 and Austria’s uses 14. It also has no announced parental route. On timing it is behind the four countries already enforcing a rule.